Comparing: Tiger I vs. Tiger (P) vs. KV-3

Development of the Tiger I was started in 1937 by the Henschel company. Mass production began in 1942, with an eventual total of 1,354 vehicles manufactured. The tank first saw combat in the fighting for Leningrad, and Tigers were at the forefront of battles from Tunisia to Kursk. Although production was discontinued in the summer of 1944, the Tiger I continued to see action until the end of the war.

On May 26, 1941, Adolf Hitler ordered Ferdinand Porsche and the Henschel company to develop prototypes of a new heavy tank. The prototypes were shown to the Führer on April 20, 1942. Manufacturing began, but the production run was cut short due to the complexity of the tank's drive and control systems, and a shortage of the required copper. Later, 90 produced hulls were converted into Ferdinand tank destroyers.

Developed on the basis of the KV heavy tank, the vehicle initially had very few differences from the mass-produced model. It underwent field trials in January–February 1941. Eventually, several crucial changes were made to the design, greatly boosting the combat characteristics of the vehicle. By July 22, 1941, chassis and engine development was completed. According to some sources, in the fall of 1941, the vehicle was equipped with a serial KV turret and sent to the front.